Is your local medical store closed today? Here’s where you can get medicines

As a part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), an estimated 7 to 8 lakh private medical stores will remain closed across the country today (May 20).

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) originally directed its full base of 12.4 lakh to 15 lakh traditional chemists and distributors to stay closed. But since pharmacy associations in 12 major states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka, backed out of the strike, roughly 7 to 8 lakh independent neighbourhood shops have kept their shutters down across the remaining participating regions.

Why the shutdown?

Traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacy owners have shut down operations to voice major grievances against online pharmacy applications and corporate e-delivery platforms. Among their major grievances are:

Deep discounting and unfair competition: Traditional chemists claim that corporate online platforms engage in predatory pricing, offering heavy discounts up to 60 per cent, that small retail stores simply cannot match.

Lack of regulation: The protesters also claim that online pharmacies operate in a legal grey area leftover from temporary pandemic-era rules. Local shops undergo strict licensing and regular physical inspections, while online platforms face much lighter oversight.

Public health and safety risks: The AIOCD has raised concerns regarding weak verification protocols for prescription drugs. They note that patients, particularly youth, can easily upload AI-generated or unverified prescriptions to illegally obtain addictive medications and antibiotics.

Where can you get medicines today?

While your neighbourhood retail medical store or wholesale distributors may not operate today, you can still access essential medicines through the following channels:

Hospital pharmacies: Medicine counters attached to government hospitals, private hospitals, and nursing homes will remain fully operational to handle emergencies.

Jan Aushadhi Kendras: Government-run generic medicine outlets will remain unaffected by the private trade strike and remain open.

E-pharmacies: Major online medicine applications are operating normally, though delivery timelines may face minor delays due to local supply chain updates.

Exempted state associations: Retail pharmacy associations in at least 12 states have opted out of the bandh. These include Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Sikkim. However, a few individual shops aligned with the central AIOCD body may still choose to remain closed voluntarily.

States experiencing high disruption

States such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Odisha have been majorly affected by the shutdown. Over 25,000 shops have been closed in Telangana, including 12,000 in Hyderabad alone.

In Tamil Nadu, an estimated 40,000 medical shops will remain closed. However, Apollo, MedPlus, Tulasi Pharmacy, and Muthu Pharmacy, as well as state-owned retail outlets such as Chief Minister’s Pharmacies, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Society Pharmacies, and the Prime Minister’s Jan Aushadhi Kendras, will remain open.

Karnataka, too, has been significantly affected by the strike, with nearly 26,000 private medical stores closing their shutters across the state. In Bengaluru alone, roughly 6,500 neighbourhood retail pharmacies will remain closed today.

States such as Odisha, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand have been highly affected.